Production of sprouted legumes



prouts in large tubs of cold water. Thus, while The foregoing and other difiiculties and disad- 1'2 producing sprouts on a small scale is a relatively vantages attending present-day processes for simple process, requiring only crude equipment, sprouting legume seeds are overcome by the procthe amount of labor involved is inordinate. ess of the present invention in which a uniform,

Patented Sept. 12, 1950 Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRODUCTION OF SPROUTED LEGUMES Benjamin B. Stoller, Duluth, Minn., assignor to Lennys Foods, Inc., Duluth, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota No Drawing. Application September 6, 1946,

Serial No. 695,296

' 9 Claims. (01. ll-2.1) 1 2 This invention relates to the production of present method of growing sprouts, Beskow sprouted legumes or, as they are more commonly (Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station,

known, bean sprouts, and is more particularly Tec. Bul. #184, June 1944) states that Unforconcerned-with a, process for causing an abnormal tunately the sprouts thus produced in large comor unnatural sprouting of legume seeds to pro 5 mercial tanks are not uniform in size and shape, duce unnaturally large and plump hypocotyls Those which develop near the bottom of the without roots or only a vestige of a root. tanks are usually short and hard. Those in the Sprouted legumes, the so-called Chinese dishes upper ten inches of the bean sprout mass are long, in America, constitute one of the chief fresh vegefibrous, tough, rooty and are unsalable Since table ingredients in the diet or oriental populae total p h of the bean spr ut mass is about tions. Since the discovery that the sprouted 36 inches the loss because of the poor developlegumes are rich in vitamins, especially vitamin ment in the upper ten inches is quite sizable.

C, and high in proteins but relatively low in Attempts at improvements have been largely carbohydrates, their use in America has increased in plant sanitation, separating the hulls from considerably. By sprouting, an indigestible legsprouts, removing the roots from the sprouts, and

ume is converted into a vitamin-rich, easily di- P c n o e un form Sprouts. While congesuble fo d tamination of sprouts by microorganism or sour- Many legumes may be used for sprouting, such ss Is St l commo better sanitation has genas different varieties of the following: the mung erally been bta edvi es for re ovi hulls bean (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) and (Phaseolus and roots are considered unsatisfactory and are mungo L.), soybean (Glycine man: Merr) cowpeas her expensive Beskow, however, has D (Vigna sinensis), garbanzo (Cicer arietinum), p ed a method of producing a, more uniform patani (Phaseolus lunatus L.),tapilan (Phaseolus pr t. H discovered that under p rimen l calcamtus 1, cadios (Cajanus ajun SpringL) conditions relatively uniform sprouts are obtained and the winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonola- W en the p s are ow n a a o p re bus L.) The two legumes most commonly eaten Containing 0% carbondioxide, 10% oxygen and as sprouts are difierent varieties of the soybean 80% nitrogen. However, considerably expensive and the mung bean. At present the mung bean equipment and controls are required in following is the only legume used in the large scale produchis method. Furthermore, the sprouts are still tion of sprouts. However, according to Capinpin relatively rooty and there is still some variation (Philippine Agriculturist, vol. 27, pages 96-103, in the sprouts growing from the top to the bottom 1938), soybean sprouts are considered superior to of the tanks.

all the others in palatability. Accordingly, the disadvantages of the present In oriental countries the legumes are sprouted" known methods of producing sprouts are as folin small containers and considerable manpower lows: The sprouts have long, thread-like roots s required in their production. The legumes are which make the product less palatable and which soaked in water for about eight hours or until are expensive to remove, These roots are conmost of the hulls split open and then, they are ducive to packing of the sprouts in the growing placed in tubs or crooks which have beenvprotank and, since packing is favorable to overheatvided with adequate drainage. Subsequently ing and anaerobic conditions, the sprouts become they are sprinkled with water at room tempermore susceptible to contamination by microorature about three times a day. The sprouts are ganisms. The sprouts are not uniform in size usually ready for use in about four to six days, and shape and are frequently tough and stringy. depending upon the room temperature. The Finally, hulls are diflicult and expensive tosepahulls are laboriously removedby paddling the rate from the sprouts.

During the past ten years, large scale producstout sprout without primary or secondary roots, tion of sprouts on a commercial basis has been is produced by soaking the legume seeds in waincreasi e present commercial methods in ter containing minute quantities of certain chem- America, however, are essentially the same as the icals, to 'be defined hereinafter, or by exposing oriental methods, except that containers for the seeds to vapors of said chemicals. By modigrowing sprouts are larger. In appraising the fication of the present process, a sprout can also 3 be grown which is not only without root but also without hull.

Other distinct advantages of the process are: 1) The rootless sprouts. obtained are more palatable; (2) they are less susceptible to packing and souring; (3) they are uniformly thick or plump throughout the depth of the tank or vat in which they are grown, and can be grown to any desirable length, wtihout greatly sacrificing their plumpness; (4) they are of a better quality, containing more vitamin'C; (5) the hulls are easily washed off, since there is no binding by roots, or the hulls may be removed prior to sprouting; and (6) the chemical treatment is easily applied and inexpensive since only minute quantities of chemicals are required.

Before proceeding with the description of the present invention, it should be carefully borne in mind that ordinary seed germination in no way is involved. In ordinary seed germination the hypocotyl is present only in the early embryonic stages and is quickly transformed into root development. The present process, on the other hand, involves a novel treatment of legume seeds whereby the latter undergo abnormal and unnatural sprouting to produce an unnaturally large, plump hypocotyl, with no roots or only a vestige of a root. This latter feature of positively and totally preventing or inhibiting root formation ab initio with consequent abnormal vhypocotyl formation is a very important feature of the invention and a fundamental discovery in this art.

As heretofore generally indicated, the foregoing advantages in the art of legume sprouting are attained, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, by a preliminary soaking of the legume seeds in water containing only a few milligrams per liter of certain chemicals, and then allowing the treated seeds to sprout in vats or tanks. Useful in the process of the present invention are certain phenoxy aliphatic acids, substituted or unsubstituted, and their salts, esters and amides, effective to bring about the specified advantages. When unsubstituted phenoxy aliphatic acids are employed, the alpha form rather than the beta form must be employed. It is also within the contemplation of the invention to employ phenoxy aliphatic acids in which halogens are substituted in the benzene ring, so that one of these halogens is always present in the para or 4 position. Salts, esters and amides of these halogen derivatives are likewise contemplated. The halogen substituted may be chlorine, bromine, iodine or fluorine, but chlorine is preferred. The

aliphatic acids, of course, may be acetic, propionic, butyric, etc. Exemplary of specific compounds useful in the practice of the invention are alpha phenoxy acetic acid, alpha phenoxy propionic acid, alpha phenoxy butyric acid, para chlorophenoxy acetic acid, 2,4 dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, and methyl or ethyl ester of para chlorophenoxy acetic acid.

The quantity of chemicals required is in the range of 0.1 to 200 milligrams per liter of water in which the seeds are soaked. The quantity employed depends upon the species and variety of the seeds and the temperature at which the seed is soaked. At lower temperatures, more of these chemicals are required and, conversely, at higher temperatures less. Also, higher concentrations are permissible when the seeds are soaked or dipped for shorter periods.

After the seeds are treated with these chemicals, they are planted in vats or tanks in the usual manner and allowed to sprout for three to seven days. 1 While it is easier to apply the chemcals to the seeds when soaking, the chemicals can also be applied in the water with which the sprouts are sprinkled during the three to seven days the sprouts are allowed to grow, or, as stated hereinbef ore, the seeds may be subjected to vapors of the chemicals during "the sprouting period.

The seeds may be'soaked from 50 F. to 120'F.,

although they are usually soaked at 70 F. to

100 F. Less of the chemicals mentioned above are required at the higher temperatures; The length of time the seeds are soaked may vary from a few minutes to twenty-four hours, although usually the seeds are soaked six to twelve hours. The length of soaking time depends upon the temperatures employed and naturally 'the soaking may be shorter at the higher temperatures. Less of the chemicals are required for longer periods of soaking, but the quantities employed depend likewise upon the variety of the seed, the temperature and. methods of aeration mentioned below.

The invention also contemplates a procedure whereby the hulls are removed from the seeds while they are soaking in the treating water, so that the seeds may be arranged for sprouting without hulls. In this process the seeds are soaked in tanks' provided with a manifold for bubbling air or oxygen into the water. Bubbling the air through porous stone has been found satisfactory. Aeration of the soaking water has been found conducive to the shedding of the hulls, so that many of the hulls float to the surface of the water and leave the naked seed submerged. The addition of activated oxygen to the water, such as contained in peroxides or ozone, or produced by ultraor supersonic waves, facilitates the rapidity with which the hulls are removed.

Some of the hulls which have been separated from the seeds remain submerged, but they are quickly floated to the surface by adding a wetting agent to the soaking water. By the implementation of the wetting agent and the bubbling of air, or the various forms of oxygen, all the hulls that have been separated are floated to the surface and skimmed off. While as many as 90% of the hulls of some varieties of legumes have been separated during this soaking operation, the average for most legumes is about Accordingly, to remove the remaining hulls, the seeds are sprayed with a relatively strong stream of water. The seeds on which the hull still persist are separated by means of a photoelectric cell, and are either grown separately or soaked for a longer period, depending upon the variety of the bean. It is simple to make a photoelectric separation, since the hulls, or seeds with hulls, are a dark color, whereas the naked seed is usually a light cream color.

The following specific examples are given herein by way of illustration but not by limitation:

Example I The initial 14" x 22" x 22" high, flushed with water and Eaxmple II Twenty-two pounds of beans are soaked in forty-four liters of water containing eighty-eight milligrams of p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid. The conditions and procedure are the same as in,Example I, except that the beans are sprinkled with water at a temerature of 85 F., although it may be lowered if the temperature of the sprouts in the vat rises-above 90 F.-95 F. I

4 ExampleIII Eleven pounds of mung beans are soaked in 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the phenoxy aliphatic acid is 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

5. A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking legume seeds in an aqueous solution of a phenoxy aliphatic acid, agitating to loosen the hulls from the seeds, removing the hulled seeds from the treating bath,

and then allowing the treated seeds to develop intorootless sprouts having unnaturally large and plump hypocotyls.

6. A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking legume seeds in an I aqueous solution of a phenoxy aliphatic acid. agitating to loosen the hulls from the seedsby bubbling an oxygen-containing gas through the treating bath, removing the hulled seeds from the treating bath, and then allowing the treated,

seeds to develop into rootless sprouts having un .naturally large and plump hypoootyls.

7-. A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking legume seeds for 6-12 hours at a temperature of 50-120" F. in anaqueous solution containing 0.1 to 200 milligrams per liter f para chlorophenoxya'cetic acid, agitating forty-four liters of water containing forty-four milligrams of p-chlorophenoxyacetic acid and 200 ml. of 3% H202. Air is bubbled through porous stone in the bottom of the vat. The temperature of the water is maintained at 100 F. for about twelve hours. The hulls floating to the surface of the water are skimmed off and a small quantity of a wetting agent (example- 0.0005% Aerosol) is then dissolved'in the soaking water. The remaining hulls which have been submerged are floated to the surface and skimmed off. The beans are now moved over a conveyor and sprayed with a strong stream of water, so that more of the persistent hulls are removed. Finally, the beans are conveyed for photoelectric cell color separation. The beans with persistent hulls are then soaked for a long period or planted separated, depended upon the variety of the bean..

The beans with hulls removed arethen planted in vats andsprinkled with water as described under Example 1. However, after the full sprout.

is grown, the sprouts are ready for marketing without further washing.

' Example IV The dry-beans, or the beans which have been soaked for various lengthsof time, are exposed to an atmosphere containing the vapors of the methyl or ethyl ester of p-chlorophenoxy acetic acid for a period of from a few hours to a few days, depending upon the amount of moisture absorbed by the beans. The beam may be allowed to continue to'grow in this special atmosphere or planted as described under Example I.

I claim:

l. A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking legume seeds for a few minutes to 24 hours at a temperature of -120" 1''. in an aqueous solution containing 0.1 to 200 milligrams per liter of a phenoxy aliphatic acid, and then allowing the treated seeds to develop into rootless sprouts having unnaturally large and plump hypocotyls.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the phenoxy aliphatic acid is para-chlorophenoxy-acetic acid.

3. The process of claim l-wherein the phenoxy aliphatic acid is alpha phenox propionic acid.

to loosen the hulls from the seeds by bubbling an 4 oxygen-containing gas through the treating bath, removing the hulled seeds fromthe treating bath, and placing them in a sprouting vat,fsprinkling the seeds with water periodically for 3-7 days, and then harvesting the resulting rootless sprouts having unnaturally large and plump hypocotyls.

8; A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking-legume seeds for 6-12 hours at atemperature of 50-120 F. in an aqueous solution containing 0.1 to 200 milligrams per 9. A process for producing legume sprouts which comprises soaking legume seeds for 6-12 hours at a temperature of 50-120 F; in an aque- 'ous solution containing 0.1 to 200 milligrams per. 7 liter of 2,4 di-chlorophenoxyacetic acid, agitating to loosen the hulls fromthe seeds by bubbling an oxygen-containing gas through the treating bath, removing the hulled seeds from the treating. bath, and placing them in a sprouting vat. sprinkling the seeds with water periodicallyfor 3-7 days, and then harvesting the resulting rootj The following references are file of this patent: v I

- UNI'I'ED'STATES PATENTS Number: Name Date 2,322,761 Lontz June 29, 1943 2,341,868. Hitchcock Feb. 15, 1944 OTHER RJEFEREIICIJB Went et al.: Phytohormones', published 1937 by MacMillan 00.. N. Y.. 29.4 pages in all. pages 21', through 150,222 through 229, can sufllce.

unnaturally large and plump of record in the 

1. A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING LEGUME SPROUTS WHICH COMPRISES SOAKING LEGUME SEEDS FOR A FEW MINUTES TO 24 HOURS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 50-120* F. IN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING 0.1 TO 200 MILLIGRAMS PER LITER OF A PHENOXY ALIPHATIC ACID, AND THE ALLOWING THE TREATED SEEDS TO DEVELOP INTO ROOTLESS SPROUTS HAVING UNATURALLY LARGE AND PLUMP HYPOCOTYLS. 